Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

NFPA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee was originated by Vice President and Director of Positions and Issues (VPPI) Lori Boris in 2017. The VPPI developed the DEI Committee's policies and goals.  Currently, the Director of Positions and Issues (DPI) oversees and supports its work and serves as an ex-officio member.

The DEI Committee's objective is to research, investigate, and recommend policy concerning the feasibility of implementing diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives.  One of the manners in which the DEI Committee will achieve this objective is through development of NFPA’s Policy Manual on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to be used as a resource for NFPA member associations, and to provide guidance and suggestions for implementation of their own diversity,  equity, and inclusion policies.

The DEI Committee’s work entails the following professional development initiatives:

  • NFPA's Policy Manual on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as an Ethics CLE Option
  • Unconscious, Implicit, Affinity, and Cultural Bias mitigation
  • NFPA's ADA Accommodations Policy

The DEI Committee welcomes your input.  If you are interested in additional information or would like to join this active and dynamic Committee, please contact NFPA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair, Sybil Taylor Aytch, M.Ed., RP® at diversity@paralegals.org.

The members of the Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Committee are:

  • Sybil Taylor Aytch, M.Ed., RP® (Chair)- Oregon Paralegal Association
  • Wayne D. Akin- Oregon Paralegal Association
  • Lori Boris, RP®, MnCP - Minnesota Paralegal Association
  • Cynthia Bynum, MBA- Georgia Paralegal Association
  • Mpho Chapi - New York City Paralegal Association
  • Brenna C. Dickey, RP® - Oregon Paralegal Association
  • Melody Johnson, CP - Dallas Area Paralegal Association
  • Sonjanita C. Jordan- New Orleans Paralegal Association
  • Salimah Rosenberry, ACP- Central Pennsylvania Paralegal Association
  • Stefanie M. Trujillo- Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association
  • Jay M. Williams, TBLS-BCP- Dallas Area Paralegal Association
  • Maren Schroeder, RP®, MnCP (NFPA Director of Positions & Issues)

NFPA Justice Champion Award
The DEI Committee's first major initiative was development of NFPA's Justice Champion Award in honor of the late Heather Heyer, a paralegal at the Miller Law Group in Charlottesville, Virginia, for her dedication to the expansion of civil rights, social justice, and the expectation that all human beings be treated with dignity and respect. The Award was established to recognize a practicing paralegal whose conduct, actions, and activities demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to diversity and inclusion, as defined in NFPA's Position Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and in promotion of NFPA's Core Values of supporting diversity and unity within the profession.

The inaugural recipient of the Justice Champion Award was Sonjanita C. Jordan, a past president and member of the New Orleans Paralegal Association.  Sonjanita has been a leader in diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives in her local area for many years and has consistently challenged injustice. 

Read about our past NFPA Justice Champion Award Winners:

Position Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The DEI Committee's second major initiative was the updating of NFPA's 2006 Position Statement on Diversity. The updated and revised Position Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was unanimously approved by the delegates at the 2018 Convention and was subsequently updated by the DEI Committee in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Recorded Webinars

Fostering Inclusive Leadership

Annual Convention 2020 (60 minutes)
Sybil Taylor Aytch, M.Ed., RP, NFPA Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity Committee Chair
Session approved for 1.0 DI&E CLE credit.
Purchase Recording

NFPA Statements Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

National Paralegal Reporter DEI Articles      

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources
For an association to be truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive, it must research and provide diversity, equity, and inclusion training resources, and review them at regular intervals to remain at the forefront of changes within the resource. Examples of training resources may include:

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